Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-03-12
4 Big Blaze.

New YORK, Feb. 2S-At 6:25 this morning
ire broke out on pier 81. North River, owned
" the Morgan line steamship company and
lsed as a discharging pier for freight, aud
sused a total loss Of between $3.50 % and
Av.lO0 The FIRE originated on board the
lghter LOrena, which was moored at the cX-
RENE end OF the dock, and By the time the
iremen arrived the pier was ablaZe. On the
lorth side Of the pier was the steamer Lone
star, which COll.ded with the steamer wells
-ity few weeks ago, and on the south side
vas the steamer City Of New York Between
he St0ningtOn pier on the south and the
IuiOn Line per ON the north there were
nuOred eight lighters loaded with cotton.
The blaze soon beat down on the steamer
i.OnC Star and il was only few minutes be
ore she was afire. She was towcd out into
he river and streams Uf water PLAYED on her
Dut she was almost totally Ge-tro, ed. The
oss on her vii PROBABLY be about SiOO,o
After the Lone S.ar vas got out of the wa
attention was turned 10 the CITY of New
York and she was towed into midstream w. TIL
out being injured.
Tbs was at O'Clock. and Chief McGill and
twelve men had managed To reach the end OF
The pier anI we're trying 10 work their way TO
the lighter LOrrna when one of their number
happened to glance behind him aud in an ex-
ttlt manner tkt ~ liPtls 'NTtOi NIOl. bONS.
we are hemmed la ~ The Ch ef looked in the
ii ection of the street and saw that the whole
front OF the pier was abiaZe and that Their
means uf ESCAPE We're cut of. He mustered
his men around him and they PLAYED on the
fre with the one stream which they had run
IN To the p er hoping that for time they
would beat back the flames The fire. how
ever soon Surruun led the hOS' AVID 10 meIl,....
" hen tins gave out thief McGi.l called jhr
men a ont b m and said: 'BOvS. the Oul
thing for Us 10 do now is 70 risk swimming. -
Just aS he was about tr jump into the water,
one Of the men ~picd the tUg boat ID. VI. Cox.
She Was brought To the dock and the chief
and his men were taken on board without
lnvone being hurt.
The men were no sooner on board the tug
than word was brought to them that
Henry " att, one of the tremen of the steam
er Lone Star, was locked up in the office.
which was q short distance from the entrance
on the water side of the pier. He was crying
loudly for help. The fireman passed him an
av and he tried 10 cut his way out. but was
almost overcome. aud his efforts were very
weak. The window was pried open. ami he
was dragged out in an insrns ble condition.
On the dock We're l.JOO bales Of cotton, and on
barges 2,0OO bales, making in all about 4OOO
bales.
In all 3 $40 bales Of cotton were DESTROYED
worth Sl60 OO0. Three thousand bales of this
was through cotton destined for expectation
and insured bv the shiT pers. Six lighters in
all were fired and all were practically de-
stroved before the flames we're eX'inguiShed
The Lone star had no steam up and was I'M
able to save herself. When towed out she
was ablaZe from stem To stern. As she
cleared the pier she broke loose from her tugs
and. moved bv the strong shorewarl wind.
drfted hack. She struck the end of the GuiOn
pier Just north of the Morgan dock ami stuck
there only few moments but they were
moments of the graveSt danger, as the GuiOn
pier with its extensive sheds were piled high
with freight and the steamsh Alaska was
loading alongside.
The New York Of the Morgan line. which
had been living on the north side Of the burn
ing pier. to windward the fire. came in YES
terdav and had not commeaced unloading.
She was not touched by the fire. The StOning
ton pier. on the south Of the Morgan. was in
extreme danger and the steamer StOningtOr
was tOwed out into the stream and saved
The pier occupied bv the Morgan line was
owned bv the city. 1t was totally destroyed
causing a loss of $1,000
Ii is known that a watchman called big
Harrvr was on the lighter LOrena when il
caught fire. ami he has not been seen since.
There are MANY theories as IN the origin of the
fire. IL is believed that the watchman's pip,
was the cause. 1t is estimated that the tOta
loss is abour SF2n O0l